GT3 or Z06

I do HPDE regularly and I am ready to step up into a more serious track car. I currently own a 1995 993 it has pss9 suspension, curve straightening kit seats, brake kit and roll bars. The car is awesome in I love it however I am looking to move up. I am considering a GT3 or a Z06. For all you track guys out there what is your opinion of the Z06. I know a lot of people who own GT3s and I do know it is an unbelievable car however very expensive to maintain when things do brake. As this past DE year past I noticed a lot mre Z06's running with PCA and they really tear up the track.
What is your opinion on the Z06?

tommyg wrote:
I do HPDE regularly and I am ready to step up into a more serious track car. I currently own a 1995 993 it has pss9 suspension, curve straightening kit seats, brake kit and roll bars. The car is awesome in I love it however I am looking to move up. I am considering a GT3 or a Z06. For all you track guys out there what is your opinion of the Z06. I know a lot of people who own GT3s and I do know it is an unbelievable car however very expensive to maintain when things do brake. As this past DE year past I noticed a lot mre Z06's running with PCA and they really tear up the track.
What is your opinion on the Z06?

You already have the right car. I'd spend the money to have the motor built to make serious power (or swap in a built RS 3.8), add proper remote reservoir shock package from Penske to go with a racing coilver setup tuned by whatever shop springs from the ashes of Farnbacher Loles. A diff / trans overhaul with more lockup and steel synchros... full cage and composite panels to cut weight. The whole deal. If you spend $50k on it at a shop that sets up professional racecars you will have more than you can buy in a GT3 or Z-06.

That said... if you want a new car - GT3. No question. I driven and instructed students with both and really - the GT3 is just out-of-this-world good. The C6 Z-06 is great - but it lacks the telepathic feel and there is just something missing. Then there is also the resale issue... Z-06s will be cheaper faster.

Are you planning this as a dedicated track car? Will you have something else to DD? Sounds like yes to the first. It had better be yes to the second if you're at all serious about the track.

I say, skip street cars altogether. Get some sort of already fully prepped racer with all the proper performance and safety gear. You will get much higher performance for your dollar than on a street car. It will also hold value better than a streetcar.

I would look into something like a Factory Five Racer or maybe a Radical: http://www.radicalsportscars.com/

In hot NorCal summer track days, I've seen a number of Z06s have to sit out a session or come in early due to overheating. Haven't seen this with any 996/997s, so that's a consideration.

Also, when I'm in my S2000 and get passed by a C5/6 on the straights, I don't think "gotta have one" the way I do with a GT3. While the C6 is a great track car, and much less costly to maintain, it's the missing "gotta have it" factor that keeps it off my new play-car finalist list.

Salanis wrote:
Are you planning this as a dedicated track car? Will you have something else to DD? Sounds like yes to the first. It had better be yes to the second if you're at all serious about the track.
I would look into something like a Factory Five Racer or maybe a Radical: http://www.radicalsportscars.com/

A big +1 on a Radical........... A used SR3 (with a log-booked history) would provide a bigger thrill than either a GT3 or Z06 and do it for less money.

Even if one had to buy a tow vehicle and a trailer, a Radical would probably still cost less than a GT3. A C5 Z06 can be found at "bargian" prices, but are they as fast as the current track-day car?

And for even less money, some really good schools may make the driver ever faster without having to buy a new car.

Guys thanks for the input. I have considered upping the HP in my 993 and putting a cage in it but the car is just so damn cherry that I cannot do that.And yes this will be my dedicated track car. However, I would like to arrive and drive if I want to. I was thinking along the lines of a Kateck Z06. I have been on the track with these cars and my buddies (two of which run cup cars) have a hard time with them. I am not saying one is better than the other It just seems like for the $$$ you can get a lot more performance and a lower$$$ maintenance record. I am more curious if anyone has experience with the Z's?

I'm not sure your experience, but I'd highly recommend spending some effort upgrading the driver first. Go to a good racing school. I'd even say get a cheap momentum car and spend a year with that. I watch people in "advanced" groups at HPDE who have sloppy lines because they have the power to get away with it.

If you are really set on GT3 vs. Z06, I'd find an opportunity to really test drive both. You're not competing, so to hell with which one is faster. Just get the one that puts the biggest smile on your face.

salanis, I agree. I have been DEing for 4yrs now and avg approx 10-15 events per year and I see what you are referring too - people with high HP cars and bad lines, in fact I see it A LOT. Although I have a tremendous amount to learn I feel I am comfortable enough to step up to a different car. I am not looking to be the fastest car - I really do not care about that _ but I do want a relatively competitive car that performs, is reliable and reasonable maintenance costs. The Z does offer reduced maintenance costs as compared to porsche.

Both are exceptional track cars. The Corvette will likely have lower entry costs. (although C6 Z06 brake pads are apparently really expensive -- six individual pads, if I recall, per caliber). The Porsches are gorgeous. Can you arrange drives of both? That could be your deciding factor.

I've never seen a Z06 or a GT3 with a mechanical failure at any HPDE event I've attended.

The Corvette racing and track community is supportive and strong -- they've been great to me (and I have a lowly C4).

What do good drivers on the same track manage in these cars, are they similar in lap times if so save some money, if the Porsche is faster it appears to be better in the other areas such as fit, finish, comfort, resale.

ZOO wrote:
Can you arrange drives of both? That could be your deciding factor.

There is your answer. It is not which car is cheaper to run or is faster or handles better.. it is which car makes YOU the better and faster driver. You could have a 1000hp vette with handling that can exceed 2gs... and if you hated it, you would quickly become a slow driver just because you were not enjoying taking it out.

Conversly, you could have a 150hp 911S from the early seventies on skinny tyres and stock suspension.. but if you loved the feel, you would find yourself driving harder and harder and faster and faster.

It all comes down to which car you are the most comfortible with. Take them both for a spin and see. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with either.

If it came down to me.. and my 933 was too "cherry" to mod for racing... pick up another for cheaper that is not quite so nice and build it

ZOO wrote:
Can you arrange drives of both? That could be your deciding factor.

There is your answer. It is not which car is cheaper to run or is faster or handles better.. it is which car makes YOU the better and faster driver.

Great point. My two HPDE cars complement one another (a Miata, and a C4 Corvette) -- they are both remarkably similar in their on-track disposition. The Corvette has taught me to be quicker in the Miata, and the Miata has made me quicker in the Corvette.